Official Eternal IM WAMC Thread

[nothin_but_netters]

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Jesus Christ, I feel like so inept when I read these forums.

MD student, US citizen
mid-low tier TX medical school
Step 1: 234
Step 2: pending
Class rank: Lower half/3rd quartile
M3: no honors, All P
Research: None. Helping out with 2 QI projects
LOR: One strong letter from an outpatient IM doc, One from outpatient FM physician. One from IM clinical director at my school. Waiting on a letter from Gastroenterologist
Won't be done with my Sub-I until October, unfortunately.
Extracurricular: Lots of volunteering, mentoring/teaching kids, wrote for the school journal

Very, very intimidated and freaked out by all the rockstars on this thread.

I'm only trying to match somewhere in Texas.
But I understand that I'll need to apply broadly. I'm hoping to stick in the South.

Baylor/UTSW prolly not happening, I'm okay with that, I set reasonable goals for myself haha.

How about:

UT Houston
Baylor University medical center in Dallas
UT HSC San Antonio
Houston Methodist
UT Austin Dell Medical School
UTMB
Texas A&M S&W in Temple
Methodist Dallas
A few other community programs in Texas.

Goal: I would prefer to do something like CC/pulm, so a residency that helps facilitate that would be awesome.

What are some programs OUTSIDE of Texas in the South that come to mind that could possibly be a fit for me? And am I Ok for my list?

Thanks.

 

[nothin_but_netters]

Jesus Christ, I feel like so inept when I read these forums.

MD student, US citizen
mid-low tier TX medical school
Step 1: 234
Step 2: pending
Class rank: Lower half/3rd quartile
M3: no honors, All P
Research: None. Helping out with 2 QI projects
LOR: One strong letter from an outpatient IM doc, One from outpatient FM physician. One from IM clinical director at my school. Waiting on a letter from Gastroenterologist
Won't be done with my Sub-I until October, unfortunately.
Extracurricular: Lots of volunteering, mentoring/teaching kids, wrote for the school journal

Very, very intimidated and freaked out by all the rockstars on this thread.

I'm only trying to match somewhere in Texas.
But I understand that I'll need to apply broadly. I'm hoping to stick in the South.

Baylor/UTSW prolly not happening, I'm okay with that, I set reasonable goals for myself haha.

How about:

UT Houston
Baylor University medical center in Dallas
UT HSC San Antonio
Houston Methodist
UT Austin Dell Medical School
UTMB
Texas A&M S&W in Temple
Methodist Dallas
A few other community programs in Texas.

Goal: I would prefer to do something like CC/pulm, so a residency that helps facilitate that would be awesome.

What are some programs OUTSIDE of Texas in the South that come to mind that could possibly be a fit for me? And am I Ok for my list?

Thanks.

I will be adding 20 or so more schools to this list just FYI, these are just the ones in TX (that i hope to stay in)

 

[gutonc]

I will be adding 20 or so more schools to this list just FYI, these are just the ones in TX (that i hope to stay in)

There's not a single "highly competitive" program in the 4 states that border Texas. Apply to them all.

And if you ignore Oklahoma's stupid little panhandle, you can add 2 more "border" states that only have one highly ranked IM program. Apply to all of them as well.

Move east if you're so inclined and you don't hit another "top" program until you get to Birmingham. Apply to those.

Go Northeast and as long as you ignore WashU and Vandy, you can add 3 more states worth of "mid-tier programs" and stay within driving distance.

Do that and you'll be fine.

 

[nothin_but_netters]

There's not a single "highly competitive" program in the 4 states that border Texas. Apply to them all.

And if you ignore Oklahoma's stupid little panhandle, you can add 2 more "border" states that only have one highly ranked IM program. Apply to all of them as well.

Move east if you're so inclined and you don't hit another "top" program until you get to Birmingham. Apply to those.

Go Northeast and as long as you ignore WashU and Vandy, you can add 3 more states worth of "mid-tier programs" and stay within driving distance.

Do that and you'll be fine.

Thanks a ton for the feedback.

What would you say my chances are in matching somewhere in Texas among the schools I listed? Although I'm open to moving if I need to, I would be ecstatic if I matched into a mid-low tier academic program in Texas come March

 

[mrheisenberg]

First time poster, don't be too tough.
It's not only WAMC, since i would like some advice about programs.
A little background: I'm a South American IMG currently in med school (5th year/6). I gave step one this year and got 265. I do not have a major research background. At the moment i'm doing my first clinical research in critical care, probably co-author, maybe 1st author, but it's a research that will take some time and i won't have time to many more researches or papers till application. Maybe one more. Lets assume that i won't make major mistakes on step 2 CK and CS. I'm not a visa holder. I'm a pulm/cc hopeful, and i'm not planning to go to the academic route. I would like to have a good trainning at a medium-large city.
Edit: i'm planning to do 2 months of clerkships- UT houston and Mayo and 2 observeships- UTSW and Upitts ( they dont take imgs for clerkships, unfortunetely).
Given all that, what do you guys think are my chances at two programs i like a lot: UPMC and UTSW? Heard U Colorado hardly takes IMGs, but i'd like to know if someone has any insights about it.
Additionaly, for family reasons, Texas is a specially desirable place for me. How good and WAMC in the other programs in there? UT-Houston, UT San Antonio etc. Any other programs that you guys think, outside of Texas, that would be desirable and realistic for me? Should i aim for what sort of tier?
Thanks in advance.

There's a bunch of "what ifs" here. You'll probably match if you don't fail CS/CK, but I think UTSW, UColorado, Pitt and Mayo are not realistic options at this point with just one publication you might be getting. There are IMGs in these programs but they are people in their research track with far extensive research experience, usually MD/PhDs with ridiculous publications. Mayo in particular usually takes highly competitive IMGs to fill their missing Preliminary Medicine spots which would be the only realistic way to get in there and see if they open up a PGY2 spot for you which I think would be too risky. Pitt has the IST program but it's almost exclusively for MD/PhDs. UTSW has some outstanding IMGs, but it's kind of a crapshoot. You should focus on more realistic programs like Miami, UConn, NJMS, Jacobi, Einstein Philly. These are excellent programs that have a track record of IMGs who were able to secure a fellowship spot afterwards.

 

[bugsterizer83]

What are my chances for IM? Do i have any shot at any mid tier academic programs? Thanks for your time.

Background - US M.D. student at public state school.

• Red flag:
  • Started med school in 2011 but took one year leave of absence for health reasons after just a couple days of class (didn't take any exams or anything).
  • Returned as part-time student the following year (did the part-time tract offered at our school due to on-going health and family reasons). Basically the way it works is your M1 year is taken over 2 years.
  • Failed anatomy class and histology class in Spring semester of M1 (year 1). Passed the make-up histology exam over summer. Failed the make-up anatomy exam.
  • Because I was part-time M1 anyway, I retook Anatomy during my M1 (year 2) (with the other classes I hadn't taken yet) and passed.
• Subsequently finished M1, M2, M3 with no further academic problems.
• M3 grades are: Honors in I.M. clerkship, High Pass in everything else except OB which was Pass.
• USMLE Step I 225
• USMLE Step II CK 238
• M4 electives that I'm taking before September: home ICU sub-i, home Pulmonology/Sleep medicine elective, and away IM sub-i.

Here is my list of programs. THere are 79 in total. Please let me know especially of the ones that I should not bother applying to, since this will be quite expensive and there are definitely some reaches on here. And thank you to @gutonc for help and tolerating my repetitiveness.

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center/North Side Health Network Program – Chicago, IL
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Program – Park Ridge, IL
Baylor College of Medicine Program – Houston, TX
Baylor University Medical Center Program – Dallas, TX
Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program – Roanoke, VA
Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) Program – Cleveland, OH
Creighton University Program – Omaha, NE
East Tennessee State University Program – Johnson City, TN
Eastern Virginia Medical School Program – Norfolk, VA
Emory University Program – Atlanta, GA
Florida State University College of Medicine Program – Tallahassee, FL
Greenville Health System/University of South Carolina Program – Greenville, SC
Hennepin County Medical Center Program – Minneapolis, MN
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital Program – Muncie, IN
Indiana University School of Medicine Program – Indianapolis, IN
John H Stroger Hospital of Cook County Program – Chicago, IL
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Program – Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana State University (Shreveport) Program – Shreveport, LA
Louisiana State University Program – New Orleans, LA
Loyola University Program – Maywood, IL
Main Line Health System/Lankenau Medical Center Program – Wynnewood, PA
Maine Medical Center Program – Portland, ME
Medical College of Georgia Program – Augusta, GA
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Program – Milwaukee, WI
Medical University of South Carolina Program – Charleston, SC
Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Program – Columbus, SC
Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center Program – Hershey, PA
Presence St Francis Hospital Program – Evanston, IL
Presence St Joseph Hospital (Chicago) Program – Chicago, IL
Rush University Medical Center Program – Chicago, IL
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University/Christiana Care Health Services Program – Newark, DE
Southern Illinois University Program – Springfield, IL
SSM St Mary's Hospital-St Louis Program – St Louis , MO
Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Program – Lubbock, TX
The Ohio State University Hospital Program – Columbus, OH
Tulane University Program – New Orleans, LA
University of Alabama Medical Center Program – Birmingham, AL
University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix Program (Banner Good Samaritan) – Phoenix, AZ
University of Arizona College of Medicine at South Campus Program - Tucson, AZ
University of Arizona Program – Tucson, AZ
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Program – Little Rock, AK
University of Chicago (NorthShore) Program – Evanston, IL
University of Chicago Program – Chicago, IL
University of Colorado Program – Aurora, CO
University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville Program – Jacksonville, FL
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago/Advocate Christ Medical Center Program – Oak Lawn, IL
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria Program – Peoria, IL
University of Iowa (Des Moines) Program – Des Moines, IA
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Program – Iowa City, IA
University of Kansas (Wichita) Program – Wichita, KS
University of Kansas School of Medicine Program – Kansas City, KS
University of Kentucky College of Medicine Program – Lexington, KY
University of Louisville Program – Louisville, KY
University of Minnesota Program – Minneapolis, MN
University of Mississippi Medical Center Program – Jackson, MS
University of Missouri at Kansas City Program – Kansas City, MO
University of Missouri-Columbia Program – Columbia, MO
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program – Omaha, NE
University of Nevada School of Medicine (Las Vegas) Program – Las Vegas, NV
University of New Mexico Program – Albuquerque, NM
University of North Carolina Hospitals Program – Chapel Hill, NC
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Program – Oklahoma City, OK
University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine (Tulsa) Program – Tulsa, OK
University of South Alabama Program – Mobile, AL
University of South Florida Morsani Program – Tampa, FL
University of Tennessee (Nashville) Program – Nashville, TN
University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga Program – Chattanooga, TN
University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville Program – Knoxville, TN
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program – Houston, TX
University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine at San Antonio Program – San Antonio, TX
University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals Program – Galveston, TX
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Program – Dallas, TX
University of Toledo Program – Toledo, OH
University of Utah Program – Salt Lake City, UT
University of Virginia Program – Charlottesville, VA
Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University Program – Greenville, NC
Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program – Winston-Salem, NC
West Virginia University Program – Morgantown, WV

Also given my history - is this too many to apply to? Too little? Thanks for your time.

 

[articuperto]

Thanks in advance guys.

School: top 25
Step1: 230 (needed LOA to study)
Step2 CK: pending
Third year: HP medicine, 50-50 mix of H and HP in others
Research: 5 publications (2 first author)
Others: MPH dual degree, some student organization leadership

My goal is to enter an academic residency program and eventually GI fellowship. Want to be in academic medicine long term. Pretty flexible location-wise. Looking at the following programs:
Northeast - BIDMC, NYU, Yale, BU, Dartmouth
Mid-Atlantic - UPMC, Thomas Jefferson, Temple, Hopkins Bayview, Maryland
South - Emory, UNC, Baylor, UAB, UVA, VCU, Wake Forest, MUSC
Midwest - Mayo, OHSU, Case Western, Minnesota
West - Washington, UCSD, Colorado

Can you guys offer some feedback on this list? Are any of those programs out of reach? Any recommendations for others?

 

[235009]

Thanks in advance guys.

School: top 25
Step1: 230 (needed LOA to study)
Step2 CK: pending
Third year: HP medicine, 50-50 mix of H and HP in others
Research: 5 publications (2 first author)
Others: MPH dual degree, some student organization leadership

My goal is to enter an academic residency program and eventually GI fellowship. Want to be in academic medicine long term. Pretty flexible location-wise. Looking at the following programs:
Northeast - BIDMC, NYU, Yale, BU, Dartmouth
Mid-Atlantic - UPMC, Thomas Jefferson, Temple, Hopkins Bayview, Maryland
South - Emory, UNC, Baylor, UAB, UVA, VCU, Wake Forest, MUSC
Midwest - Mayo, OHSU, Case Western, Minnesota
West - Washington, UCSD, Colorado

Can you guys offer some feedback on this list? Are any of those programs out of reach? Any recommendations for others?

I like your mid atlantic choices. Your northeast choices are too top-heavy. If your LOA to study for step 1 is going to be mentioned that's certainly a red flag but I hope by "pending" you mean that you've already taken CK and the score will be out before you submit....that can help you a lot. Overall though I think you'll be fine with that list.

 

[Jelliebeans]

So I think I messed up my approach to med school... I was under the impression that grades didn't matter in medical school since, you know, a lot of schools don't even have grades and everything. So I didn't study as hard as I could, thinking that grades didn't matter. Like nobody told me grades were important... Nobody...
Long story short, other than my grades, I think I have a relatively okay application...

School: Top 30
Grade: second quartile, B in internal medicine (thought I was doing surgery until second semester and I had internal medicine first)
Step 1: 250's.
Research: 2 publications 2 oral presentations and one award on a surgery topic. Again, I thought I was for sure doing surgery.
Activities: president of one club and treasurer in another
Volunteering: some but not much

Anyways long story short, my dream residency programs are academic programs in California and large east coast cities such as NY and Boston. I know those schools in general are pretty hard to get into but I'm not aiming for ucsf or mass gen or anything. I spoke to the IM program director in my school and he basically told me I had little to no chance of getting interviews at my top choices such as UCLA, NYU, etc. Interviews aside, he told me it won't be easy getting into my own school either.
I'm pretty bummed right now and was wondering why nobody has ever told me grades mattered so much. So my question is, does every school look at grades as much as my school? Should I stop dreaming about the Cali and NYC schools?

 

[Animalcules]

I think you should be fine.

 

[IMreshopeful]

Conventional wisdom is that having an H or A in medicine is a good way to make yourself competitive for medicine residency v

That being said you should apply broadly and see what you get. Your choice of programs should be geared towards your career interests.

 

[gutonc]

So I think I messed up my approach to med school... I was under the impression that grades didn't matter in medical school since, you know, a lot of schools don't even have grades and everything. So I didn't study as hard as I could, thinking that grades didn't matter. Like nobody told me grades were important... Nobody...
Long story short, other than my grades, I think I have a relatively okay application...

Moving to WAMC where this belongs.

 

[rokshana]

So I think I messed up my approach to med school... I was under the impression that grades didn't matter in medical school since, you know, a lot of schools don't even have grades and everything. So I didn't study as hard as I could, thinking that grades didn't matter. Like nobody told me grades were important... Nobody...
Long story short, other than my grades, I think I have a relatively okay application...

School: Top 30
Grade: second quartile, B in internal medicine (thought I was doing surgery until second semester and I had internal medicine first)
Step 1: 250's. Again, I thought I was doing surgery until way later
Research: 2 publications 2 oral presentations and one award on a surgery topic
Activities: president of one club and treasurer in another
Volunteering: some but not much

Anyways long story short, my dream residency programs are ones in California and large east coast cities such as NY and Boston. I know those schools in general are pretty hard to get into but I'm not aiming for ucsf or mass gen or anything. I spoke to the IM program director in my school and he basically told me I had little to no chance of getting interviews at my top choices such as UCLA, NYU, etc. Interviews aside, he told me it won't be easy getting into my own school either.
I'm pretty bummed right now and was wondering why nobody has ever told me grades mattered so much. So my question is, does every school look at grades as much as my program director? Should I stop dreaming about the Cali and NYC schools?

i take it, like, common sense didn't kick in?

there are a ton of IM residencies in Cali as well as the large east coast cities that your step I score will be ok..even the B will be ok..NYU? Mt Sinai? MGH? no...so if that is your "dream" you're gonna have to rethink your dream...apply broadly and to a good number of places on both coasts and i'm sure the fact that you are a US senior from a upper tier school will get you interviews and then you can go from there...but don't be miserly about the number of places you apply...better you over happy and get too many interviews and get to pick and choose than not apply to enough and then need to pray that the few interviews you got is enough to match...and be ready to explain why you were a "meh" student and that you don't plan to be a "meh" resident (btw there are no grades in residency but you will be evaluated anyway...so if you are thinking fellowship, you will need to be more than mediocre...).

 

[235009]

So I think I messed up my approach to med school... I was under the impression that grades didn't matter in medical school since, you know, a lot of schools don't even have grades and everything. So I didn't study as hard as I could, thinking that grades didn't matter. Like nobody told me grades were important... Nobody...
Long story short, other than my grades, I think I have a relatively okay application...

School: Top 30
Grade: second quartile, B in internal medicine (thought I was doing surgery until second semester and I had internal medicine first)
Step 1: 250's. Again, I thought I was doing surgery until way later
Research: 2 publications 2 oral presentations and one award on a surgery topic
Activities: president of one club and treasurer in another
Volunteering: some but not much

Anyways long story short, my dream residency programs are ones in California and large east coast cities such as NY and Boston. I know those schools in general are pretty hard to get into but I'm not aiming for ucsf or mass gen or anything. I spoke to the IM program director in my school and he basically told me I had little to no chance of getting interviews at my top choices such as UCLA, NYU, etc. Interviews aside, he told me it won't be easy getting into my own school either.
I'm pretty bummed right now and was wondering why nobody has ever told me grades mattered so much. So my question is, does every school look at grades as much as my program director? Should I stop dreaming about the Cali and NYC schools?

Not sure why you have to qualify your step 1 score by saying you were planning on going into surgery.

Regardless I'm sorry you thought your school was giving out grades for no reason. Though P does = MD it doesn't = residency in your desired location.

You essentially only have one thing going for you with regards to top residency programs: your step 1 score. Apply to all the programs in the northeast cities and cali but make sure you apply broadly (tufts, temple, monte, harbor view, etc.).

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Jelliebeans]

Not sure why you have to qualify your step 1 score by saying you were planning on going into surgery.

Regardless I'm sorry you thought your school was giving out grades for no reason. Though P does = MD it doesn't = residency in your desired location.

You essentially only have one thing going for you with regards to top residency programs: your step 1 score. Apply to all the programs in the northeast cities and cali but make sure you apply broadly (tufts, temple, monte, harbor view, etc.).

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

Thanks for your reply! I only mentioned my step score because I actually studied hard for it knowing the surgery specialty I was interested in required a high step score, but nevertheless I guess it doesn't matter at this point.
I honestly I don't know why I thought grades didn't matter. Our school never emphasized grade or even talked about grade unless you were failing, I guess it prevents competition... It only occurred to me after the fact when people started to talk about residencies when I realized people actually cares about grades like a lot more than step score.
Anyways I guess I'll apply broadly it's only three more years.

 

[235009]

Thanks for your reply! I only mentioned my step score because I actually studied hard for it knowing the surgery specialty I was interested in required a high step score, but nevertheless I guess it doesn't matter at this point.
I honestly I don't know why I thought grades didn't matter. Our school never emphasized grade or even talked about grade unless you were failing, I guess it prevents competition... It only occurred to me after the fact when people started to talk about residencies when I realized people actually cares about grades like a lot more than step score.
Anyways I guess I'll apply broadly it's only three more years.

Some of the programs you're talking about nowadays have step 1 averages in the 240s and 250s so you're lucky you studied hard. I'm unclear about your goals here. Are you planning on subspecializing? Is location the most important thing? R u just looking for prestige for the sake of it?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Jelliebeans]

Some of the programs you're talking about nowadays have step 1 averages in the 240s and 250s so you're lucky you studied hard. I'm unclear about your goals here. Are you planning on subspecializing? Is location the most important thing? R u just looking for prestige for the sake of it?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

No, the reason why those are my top choices dream schools are mostly due to the location and the fact that I want to match into an academic program with strong research since I am thinking of applying to a competitive fellowship. Honestly looking at academic programs with strong research in California that is not in the caliber of UCSF or Stanford would be something like UCLA, and NYC school that is not Columbia or Cornell would be something like NYU or Mount Sinai. I am not applying to the most prestigious schools but only ones in those particular regions with strong research. Im attracted to those cities because it is the best for my future (personally, but I don't want to get into details regarding my relationship). So yeah i hope you understand

 

[Jelliebeans]

i take it, like, common sense didn't kick in?

there are a ton of IM residencies in Cali as well as the large east coast cities that your step I score will be ok..even the B will be ok..NYU? Mt Sinai? MGH? no...so if that is your "dream" you're gonna have to rethink your dream...apply broadly and to a good number of places on both coasts and i'm sure the fact that you are a US senior from a upper tier school will get you interviews and then you can go from there...but don't be miserly about the number of places you apply...better you over happy and get too many interviews and get to pick and choose than not apply to enough and then need to pray that the few interviews you got is enough to match...and be ready to explain why you were a "meh" student and that you don't plan to be a "meh" resident (btw there are no grades in residency but you will be evaluated anyway...so if you are thinking fellowship, you will need to be more than mediocre...).

My goal is to go to a large academic program with strong research to prepare me for fellowship. I guess it is harder to add additional qualifiers of Cali and nyc schools (for my personal relationship sake). There aren't many options in those places that aren't super prestigious and competitive that would still get me to where I want to be. Of course I would still apply everywhere, but it shocked me to hear how many of my dream schools were out of my reach due to my grades.
Thanks for your advice about applying to many! I think I will just so I can increase my chances!

 

[Jelliebeans]

Conventional wisdom is that having an H or A in medicine is a good way to make yourself competitive for medicine residency v

That being said you should apply broadly and see what you get. Your choice of programs should be geared towards your career interests.

Yes! Great point! I am limited in that I am looking at large academic programs with strong research, which means I probably won't be applying to many community programs in those cities even though there are many in Cali and NYC.
Bummer I never got the advice earlier! I would've worked so much harder on my shelf if I knew that was the case 🙁

 

[rokshana]

My goal is to go to a large academic program with strong research to prepare me for fellowship. I guess it is harder to add additional qualifiers of Cali and nyc schools (for my personal relationship sake). There aren't many options in those places that aren't super prestigious and competitive that would still get me to where I want to be. Of course I would still apply everywhere, but it shocked me to hear how many of my dream schools were out of my reach due to my grades.
Thanks for your advice about applying to many! I think I will just so I can increase my chances!

and what fellowship would that be? GI? or ID? meaning are you looking at the uber competitive fellowships? then you may have to look outside of the big cities for a stronger academic place in less desirable location, otherwise, (and even then) you can still be a competitive applicant from a mid tier program...you will just have to work hard to prove yourself...how strong is your research? are you 1st author on those papers? working with a renown researcher in your field of interest? awarded any grants for further work?

look at programs that have your fellowship of choice in house...you will be most competitive for positions in your own hospital.

 

[Grouphug]

Thank you in advance for your honest, thoughtful advice!

US MD at top 10 or so medical school
Step 1: about 220
Step 2: about 222
Class rank: Not in yet? I'm guessing 35th percentile? See below for MS3 grades.
M3: All pass, except HP in Peds and FM
Research: None really, just our required project for med school that everyone does that I guess technically counts as research.
LOR: Don't want to be specific for anonymity, but letter from IM big wig at my institution
Sub-I: Currently on my Sub-I. Don't expect anything better
Extracurricular: not much.
Personal Statement: average.

I want to keep pulmonary/critical care option open, so I want to go to an "academic/reputable/university" program.

Pros:
-US MD
-Top 10 medical school
-LOR from "important" person

Cons:
-below average test scores
-below average MS3 grades
-etc.

Given the above, I have some pros, some cons, I consider myself an "average" applicant.

The question is, what are my chances (preferably in numerical form) of going to one of the top 30 or so "academic/reputable/university" programs. (And yes, I realize this is subjective). Btw, I'm using the doximity list of top 30 programs (simply out of lack of any other list). Oh, and I asked for "as numeric as possible" because I was going to throw it into a binomial calculator (aka if I apply to 60 programs and I have a 5% chance at getting into each one, then I have a 95.4% chance of matching). Thinking about it this way helps me 🙂

Bonus question: Oh and while I'm at it, my partner will be applying next year, what are the odds they will match in the same city as me? (I realize this is heavily dependent on the number of programs in the city, but let's say there is just 1 program in the city for discussion sake).

Thank you for your honest, thoughtful, advice! May good karma spread to you! 🙂

Best of luck to everyone!

 

[235009]

Thank you in advance for your honest, thoughtful advice!

US MD at top 10 or so medical school
Step 1: about 220
Step 2: about 222
Class rank: Not in yet? I'm guessing 35th percentile? See below for MS3 grades.
M3: All pass, except HP in Peds and FM
Research: None really, just our required project for med school that everyone does that I guess technically counts as research.
LOR: Don't want to be specific for anonymity, but letter from IM big wig at my institution
Sub-I: Currently on my Sub-I. Don't expect anything better
Extracurricular: not much.
Personal Statement: average.

I want to keep pulmonary/critical care option open, so I want to go to an "academic/reputable/university" program.

Pros:
-US MD
-Top 10 medical school
-LOR from "important" person

Cons:
-below average test scores
-below average MS3 grades
-etc.

Given the above, I have some pros, some cons, I consider myself an "average" applicant.

The question is, what are my chances (preferably in numerical form) of going to one of the top 30 or so "academic/reputable/university" programs. (And yes, I realize this is subjective). Btw, I'm using the doximity list of top 30 programs (simply out of lack of any other list). Oh, and I asked for "as numeric as possible" because I was going to throw it into a binomial calculator (aka if I apply to 60 programs and I have a 5% chance at getting into each one, then I have a 95.4% chance of matching). Thinking about it this way helps me 🙂

Bonus question: Oh and while I'm at it, my partner will be applying next year, what are the odds they will match in the same city as me? (I realize this is heavily dependent on the number of programs in the city, but let's say there is just 1 program in the city for discussion sake).

Thank you for your honest, thoughtful, advice! May good karma spread to you! 🙂

Best of luck to everyone!

If you apply to the top 60 programs as listed on doximity you will absolutely match. Instead you should apply smart to 20-30 programs. The doximity list is not reflective of competitive programs. That said I would think your best bet is at your home institution or a mid-tier program in a competitive location. You're essentially just coasting on the top 10 school at this point.


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[burritowithgreensauce]

.

 

[Murfdaddy1288]

Need some advice/help.

School: top 30
Step 1: 246
Step2 CK: pending
Class rank: top half, not AOA
Third year: HP medicine, mostly HP's with some P's and H's
Research: 6 publications (3 first author), multiple poster presentations and research grants (4 from current institution and 2 national from the American Medical Association and AOA, all in all totaling around 30k)

I know the non-AOA and HP in internal will more than likely hurt my chances at places like MGH, Brigham, Duke, etc but any suggestions in regards to other programs to consider applying to and chances at lower tier places such as Beth Israel, Cornell, Mayo etc?

Thanks!

 

[Perfect Hair Day]

I want to pursue an IM residency with the intention to match for cards fellowship, ergo, I want to match into an IM residency with some prestige that has strengths/reputation for matching into cards fellowship.

Step 1 is 247.
USNWR Ranked U.S. MD program, somewhere in the 40's.
Class rank in the 2nd quartile.
Summer research fellowship between 1st and 2nd year, but no publications from it (received a financial award, though).
Master's degree (not an SMP) prior to medical school.
President of two prominent and very active/engaging student organizations at my medical school. Involved in a small clinical research project within an IM subspecialty - may produce a publication much later but within the timeframe of ERAS, most likely to only have a poster at a conference before submitting ERAS.

Considering the following list (based on name recognition and location), in no particular order of priority at this time with the exception of the first 5).

1. MassGen
2. UCSF
3. B&W
4. University of Chicago
5. Northwestern
6. NYP-Cornell
7. NYP-Columbia
8. The Mt. Sinai Hospital
9. Penn Medicine
10. Vanderbilt
11. Stanford
12. NYU Langone
13. UCLA
14. Duke University Medical Center
15. Hofstra/Northwell Health
16. Stony Brook University
17. Maimonidies Medical Center (Brooklyn, NY)
18. New York Methodist Hospital (Brooklyn, NY)
19. Lenox Hill Hospital (Manhattan, NY)
20. SUNY Downstate Medical Center
21. Westchester Medical Center / New York Medical College
22. Rush University Medical Center
23. Loyola University Chicago
24. University of Illinois Chicago
25. Georgetown University
26. University of Texas Southwestern
27. University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital
28. Texas Methodist Hospital (Houston, TX)
29. Tulane University
30. University of Alabama
31. Oschner Clinic

From this list, which of these programs are reasonably within my reach? I understand that some of the programs (MGH, UCSF, Mayo, etc) are "reach" programs, but barring those, which programs from this list are reasonably within my reach. I'm not looking to have my ego stroked here, I know that my Step 1 score is competitive for IM - I just would like to have some sense of realism regarding what my prospects are, especially with respect to 1-14.

Please note - I am currently a 3rd year MD student, but I am hoping for some insight nevertheless - based on my research and Step 1 score alone, I assume some things can be ruled out / ruled in. I'd like to have some realistic idea on what potential exists at this point for me, so I don't get my hopes up on residency programs that I likely will have no shot at even an interview.

Thank you! 🙂

 

[235009]

I want to pursue and IM residency with the intention to match for cards fellowship.

Step 1 is 247.
USNWR Ranked U.S. MD program, somewhere in the 40's.
Class rank in the 2nd quartile.
Summer research fellowship between 1st and 2nd year, but no publications from it (received a financial award, though).
Master's degree (not an SMP) prior to medical school.
President of two prominent and very active/engaging student organizations at my medical school. Involved in a small clinical research project within an IM subspecialty - may produce a publication much later but within the timeframe of ERAS, most likely to only have a poster at a conference before submitting ERAS.

Considering the following list (based on name recognition and location), in no particular order of priority at this time with the exception of the first 5).

1. MassGen
2. UCSF
3. B&W
4. University of Chicago
5. Northwestern
6. NYP-Cornell
7. NYP-Columbia
8. The Mt. Sinai Hospital
9. Penn Medicine
10. Vanderbilt
11. Stanford
12. NYU Langone
13. UCLA
14. Duke University Medical Center
15. Hofstra/Northwell Health
16. Stony Brook University
17. Maimonidies Medical Center (Brooklyn, NY)
18. New York Methodist Hospital (Brooklyn, NY)
19. Lenox Hill Hospital (Manhattan, NY)
20. SUNY Downstate Medical Center
21. Westchester Medical Center / New York Medical College
22. Rush University Medical Center
23. Loyola University Chicago
24. University of Illinois Chicago
25. Georgetown University
26. University of Texas Southwestern
27. University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital
28. Texas Methodist Hospital (Houston, TX)
29. Tulane University
30. University of Alabama
31. Oschner Clinic

From this list, which of these programs are reasonably within my reach? I understand that some of the programs (MGH, UCSF, Mayo, etc) are "reach" programs, but barring those, which programs from this list are reasonably within my reach. I'm not looking to have my ego stroked here, I know that my Step 1 score is competitive for IM - I just would like to have some sense of realism regarding what my prospects are, especially with respect to 1-14.

Please note - I am currently a 3rd year MD student, but I am hoping for some insight nevertheless - based on my research and Step 1 score alone, I assume some things can be ruled out / ruled in. I'd like to have some realistic idea on what potential exists at this point for me, so I don't get my hopes up on residency programs that I likely will have no shot at even an interview.

Thank you! 🙂

At top programs and desirable locations IM is more competitive than you think or are lead to believe. Your application is actually quite similar to mine. Step 1 within a couple points, I went to a school about a dozen ranks lower, was second quartile, had a non-smp master's degree. I did have more publications but all from before med school. Unclear to me whether you are at the end of your third year or the beginning. If it's the beginning then getting honors in your IM rotation and improving your class rank can go a long way to making you more competitive.

That said the first 14 programs you listed are actually all reaches except maybe NYU. 15 and 16 you can apply to as safeties if you really want to live in long Island. 17 through 21 you shouldn't even consider. Beyond that is just a random list of programs with no rhyme or reason. The programs you actually have a good shot at (competitive mid tier programs) hardly show up on your list and you skip over a bunch in the geographic region that is overrepresented in your top 14 (the northeast). You need to narrow things down by the geographic region you'd like to live in, get through third year then come back with an updated list.


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[Perfect Hair Day]

At top programs and desirable locations IM is more competitive than you think or are lead to believe. Your application is actually quite similar to mine. Step 1 within a couple points, I went to a school about a dozen ranks lower, was second quartile, had a non-smp master's degree. I did have more publications but all from before med school. Unclear to me whether you are at the end of your third year or the beginning. If it's the beginning then getting honors in your IM rotation and improving your class rank can go a long way to making you more competitive.

That said the first 14 programs you listed are actually all reaches except maybe NYU. 15 and 16 you can apply to as safeties if you really want to live in long Island. 17 through 21 you shouldn't even consider. Beyond that is just a random list of programs with no rhyme or reason. The programs you actually have a good shot at (competitive mid tier programs) hardly show up on your list and you skip over a bunch in the geographic region that is overrepresented in your top 14 (the northeast). You need to narrow things down by the geographic region you'd like to live in, get through third year then come back with an updated list.


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Thanks for your reply 🙂 Would you mind sharing some examples of the bolded?

 

[235009]

Thanks for your reply 🙂 Would you mind sharing some examples of the bolded?

Temple, Jefferson, BU, tufts, montefoire, UMD, Brown


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[wind0angel]

Hi Everyone! I'm wondering if you guys can help me out with my school list. I'm not sure if I am competitive for the top 25 IM programs and I was wondering what are some safety schools? Hoping to stay near the east/south. Thank you!

Step 1: 242
Step 2 CK/CS: taking it in the fall
School: unranked mid-tier (I guess?) public state school in NY
Rank: top 10%
Third year clerkships: H in third year IM , and subI. Only HS in OBGYN so far
AOA: yes
Research: 1 first author publication and 2 other publications (3rd and 5th author). 1 of poster presentation at a conference. Some community research experience.
Extracurriculars: some leadership positions/service/teaching (nothing super special)
LORs: chairman’s letter; heme onc letter, IM residency program director from my subI

Thinking of going into Heme/onc so probably looking for a bigger academic program and hopping to stay near the coasts (east or west).

So far all I have are: x_x

Brigham (I really like their culture but should I even bother applying here since I'm not from top 25 med school?)
Yale
Brown
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
BU
Umass
UPMC,
U Penn
Georgetown
Columbia
NYU,
Medical University of South Carolina
University of Northern Carolina at chapel hill
Hofstra, SUNY Stony Brook, UB, Downstate, uh.... that's all I got so far...

Appreciate any input!

 

[Perfect Hair Day]

Temple, Jefferson, BU, tufts, montefoire, UMD, Brown


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Do these programs have a strong cardiology reputation? Do the position their residents well for matching into Cardiology, either in house or elsewhere? I did not list Montefiore or Brown because I used to live in the Bronx and have no interest in returning, and Providence, RI does not have very much appeal to me either, though I recognize Brown is a great IM program. Now that I think about it though, I might prefer Providence, RI to Rochester, MN, but realistically I wouldn't be comfortable at Brown if their program doesn't carry significant clout that would poise me well for a cardiology fellowship match. Boston is far more exciting of a prospect to me than Providence, RI. Do BUMC, Tufts have a strong rep in cards?

 

[gutonc]

Hi Everyone! I'm wondering if you guys can help me out with my school list. I'm not sure if I am competitive for the top 25 IM programs and I was wondering what are some safety schools? Hoping to stay near the east/south. Thank you!

Step 1: 242
Step 2 CK/CS: taking it in the fall
School: unranked mid-tier (I guess?) public state school in NY
Rank: top 10%
Third year clerkships: H in third year IM , and subI. Only HS in OBGYN so far
AOA: yes
Research: 1 first author publication and 2 other publications (3rd and 5th author). 1 of poster presentation at a conference. Some community research experience.
Extracurriculars: some leadership positions/service/teaching (nothing super special)
LORs: chairman’s letter; heme onc letter, IM residency program director from my subI

Thinking of going into Heme/onc so probably looking for a bigger academic program and hopping to stay near the coasts (east or west).

So far all I have are: x_x

Brigham (I really like their culture but should I even bother applying here since I'm not from top 25 med school?)
Yale
Brown
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
BU
Umass
UPMC,
U Penn
Georgetown
Columbia
NYU,
Medical University of South Carolina
University of Northern Carolina at chapel hill
Hofstra, SUNY Stony Brook, UB, Downstate, uh.... that's all I got so far...

Appreciate any input!

This is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous list I've ever seen. I can list another half dozen programs in the Tri-state and Boston areas alone:
MSSM (the real one, not the one you listed which is closing this year)
Cornell
Monte
LIJ (unless that's Hofstra now)
Rutgers - RWJ
Rutgers - NJMS
BIDMC
MGH

UNC and GT but not Duke, Maryland or one of the Hopkins programs?
Penn and Pitt but not TJ or Temple?
MUSC but not Wake, Emory or UAB?

Look at that...I just spent another$400 of your dad's money on apps. Tell him he's welcome.

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

.

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

Do these programs have a strong cardiology reputation? Do the position their residents well for matching into Cardiology, either in house or elsewhere? I did not list Montefiore or Brown because I used to live in the Bronx and have no interest in returning, and Providence, RI does not have very much appeal to me either, though I recognize Brown is a great IM program. Now that I think about it though, I might prefer Providence, RI to Rochester, MN, but realistically I wouldn't be comfortable at Brown if their program doesn't carry significant clout that would poise me well for a cardiology fellowship match. Boston is far more exciting of a prospect to me than Providence, RI. Do BUMC, Tufts have a strong rep in cards?

Tufts certainly does. Here's a link to their fellowship match.

 

[ndo0604]

DO Student

Step 1/Step 2CK: 240/256
Level 1/Level 2 CE/Level 2 PE: 610/667/pass
School: DO
Rank: 1st quartile
Third year clerkships: Honors- IM/OBGYN/Geriatrics. Pass- Surgery/Psych/Peds. Haven't taken FM & EM shelves yet. No "high pass" system at my school.
Research: Nada.
Extracurriculars: Not impressive.
LORs: Decent. No big name though.


No geography preference. I have many reaches and in mind but this list is basically taken from the "DO friendly Uni-IM programs" thread. Please let me know if I'm reaching too far with any of these and also suggest some others that I should try my luck with.. THANK YOU!

Baylor U
Creighton U
Drexel U
Eastern Virginia Medical School
George Washington U
Georgetown U
Hofstra North Shore - LIJ
Indiana U
Loma Linda
Louisiana State U
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Medical University of South Carolina
Mercer
Minnesota U
Ohio State
Penn State
Robert Wood Johnson
Rochester U
Rush U
Southern Illinois U
St Louis U
Stony Brook
Temple U
Texas A&M
Tulane U
U Arizona
U Cinicinati
U Conn
U Florida
U Illinois at Chicago
U Iowa
U Kentucky
U Louisville
U Massachusettes
U Miami
U Minnesota
U Nebraska
U New Mexico
U Oklahoma
U South California
U South Carolina
U Tennessee
U Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
U Utah
U Vermont
U Virginia
U Wash
U Wisconsin
UC Davis
UF - Gainsville
USF
UT Houston
UT San Antonia
Virginia Commonwealth U
Wake Forest

Reaches:
Baylor (Houston)
Brown
Dartmouth
Emory
OHSU
Vanderbilt


"Community Programs" I have in mind:
CCF
Cedars-Sinai
Greenwich Hospital
Hennepin County
Mayo (Jacksonville)
Pennsylvania Hospital
Providence (Portland)
Riverside Methodist Hospital (Columbus)
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Scripps Green (SD)
St Vincent
UC Northshore
Virginia Mason

 

[235009]

Do these programs have a strong cardiology reputation? Do the position their residents well for matching into Cardiology, either in house or elsewhere? I did not list Montefiore or Brown because I used to live in the Bronx and have no interest in returning, and Providence, RI does not have very much appeal to me either, though I recognize Brown is a great IM program. Now that I think about it though, I might prefer Providence, RI to Rochester, MN, but realistically I wouldn't be comfortable at Brown if their program doesn't carry significant clout that would poise me well for a cardiology fellowship match. Boston is far more exciting of a prospect to me than Providence, RI. Do BUMC, Tufts have a strong rep in cards?

Look at the match lists on the websites. Any of those places I listed will put you in a position to match well if you put in the effort. Someone linked to Tufts' list above and here is BU's: http://www.bumc.bu.edu/im-residency/ (links to lists by year on the left). Noone is going to argue that going to one of the programs I listed will put you in a better position than MGH, Duke or Columbia but if you're not in the running for those top places (which given your stats you probably won't be unless you do really well 3rd year) then they're an excellent option....especially compared to the places you listed from #15 onwards.

 

[wind0angel]

This is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous list I've ever seen. I can list another half dozen programs in the Tri-state and Boston areas alone:
MSSM (the real one, not the one you listed which is closing this year)
Cornell
Monte
LIJ (unless that's Hofstra now)
Rutgers - RWJ
Rutgers - NJMS
BIDMC
MGH

UNC and GT but not Duke, Maryland or one of the Hopkins programs?
Penn and Pitt but not TJ or Temple?
MUSC but not Wake, Emory or UAB?

Look at that...I just spent another$400 of your dad's money on apps. Tell him he's welcome.

I appreciate your input. I've thought about those programs but had crossed them off of the list due to financial reasons.

Not every one has rich dads ... OR a dad at all.

I was hopping to get some helpful input on my competitiveness for those program that I've listed.

 

[gutonc]

I appreciate your input. I've thought about those programs but had crossed them off of the list due to financial reasons.

Not every one has rich dads ... OR a dad at all.

I was hopping to get some helpful input on my competitiveness for those program that I've listed.

And I'm telling you that you don't need all that many safeties with your stats.

Ditch some of the crappy programs on your list and add the ones on mine.

 

[dret133]

.

 

[IM88]

Thinking about GI/Cards vs academic hospitalist. Things I'm looking for in a program: underserved population, wide range of pathology, resident-run services, and excellent teaching attendings. Teaching is pretty important to me and BIDMC's clinician educator track looks pretty intriguing (UCSF has one as well). Not sure what other schools offer something similar (formally or informally) -- still drudging through program websites! No geographic preference.

Northeast -- MGH, BWH, BID, BU, Tufts, Hopkins, Hopkins-Bayview, Maryland, GW, Thomas Jefferson, Penn, Pennsy, UPMC, Einstein, NYU, Sinai, Cornell, Brown, Yale
Midwest -- Northwestern, UChicago, Rush, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan
South -- Vanderbilt, UAB, UTSW, Baylor
West -- UCSF, Stanford, UCSD, UW, Colorado, OHSU, Utah

I'm definitely applying to a few more than necessary knowing that I have like a bunch of the top programs probably won't interview me, but still kind of feel like my list is too top-heavy. Thoughts? Programs to add? Programs to delete?

You're in pretty good shape with the list that you have, although I'd remove Pennsy. It doesn't really fit with the other programs on your list, and if you're interested in being in Philly adding Temple instead would be reasonable. You can probably get away with applying to ~10 fewer programs, but it's easy enough to decline some interviews - you should comfortably get >10. From what I remember from interviews last year, many of the programs on your list offer some sort of formal clinical educator/medical education track.

 

[Perfect Hair Day]

You're in pretty good shape with the list that you have, although I'd remove Pennsy. It doesn't really fit with the other programs on your list, and if you're interested in being in Philly adding Temple instead would be reasonable. You can probably get away with applying to ~10 fewer programs, but it's easy enough to decline some interviews - you should comfortably get >10. From what I remember from interviews last year, many of the programs on your list offer some sort of formal clinical educator/medical education track.

Do any programs in particular come to mind for this? I am interested in becoming a clinical educator and may want to include such programs on my list. Naturally I will eventually research in greater detail many IM programs and what they offer, but if you could give me a jumping off point here I'd very much appreciate that 🙂

 

[IM88]

Do any programs in particular come to mind for this? I am interested in becoming a clinical educator and may want to include such programs on my list. Naturally I will eventually research in greater detail many IM programs and what they offer, but if you could give me a jumping off point here I'd very much appreciate that 🙂

I remember being particularly impressed by the Beth Israel Deaconess program - they spent a lot of time emphasizing their focus on education, and the program director seemed very invested in training clinician-educators. From what I remember from interviews, programs offering similar tracks were Penn, UCSF, and Stanford, with a few others in the planning/early implementation stages.

 

[MeGoodManIThink]

Step 1: 237
Step 2 CK/CS: Pending
School: Mid-Tier NE
Rank: not available yet (suspect top 30-40%)
Preclinical Grades: Did well 1st year and decent 2nd year.
Third year clerkships: Honors (IM, Family, Psych), Rest are HP
GHHS: Yes
AOA: No
Research: 5 papers (none first author), 5+ posters (Helped a lot with peoples projects, so am many posters)
Extracurriculars: A lot..many leadership positions (president of 2 clubs, secretary, other school positions)
LORs: Chairman's letter (suspect it will be very very strong), IM letter from course chair, SUB-I letter (did really well; praise from patients), Peds letter (did some research with this doc)

I want to go to the best program I can but not sure where I have a shot. I would like to stay in the NE preferably. I also hope to specialize in GI or something down the line.

NE Reach Schools: John Hopkins, Mass Gen, MGH, Upenn, NYPH (columbia and cornell), Mt. Sinai, NYU, Beth Israel Deaconess, Yale
NE Potential Schools: UPMC, U of Rochester, BU, Tufts, Jefferson, GW, Einstein-Monte, Temple, Georgetown, Brown, Mt Sinai - Luke, UMD, Dartmouth, Einstein-Jacobi, Mt. Sinai Beth Isreal, Northwell LIJ
Safety: UCONN, Rutgers, Umass, SUNY Stony Brook

Outside NE Reach: Mayo, Duke, Wash U, U of Wash, Vandy, U of Chicago, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic
Outside NE Potential: Emory, Tulane, U of Virginia, Wake Forest, Mayo Jacksonville, UNC, Case Western and U of Miami

I really don't know if my potentials are reaches. I also don't know where I really fall and would love some input! Thank you for your time.

 

[whoknows2012]

Step 1: 237
Step 2 CK/CS: Pending
School: Mid-Tier NE
Rank: not available yet (suspect top 30-40%)
Preclinical Grades: Did well 1st year and decent 2nd year.
Third year clerkships: Honors (IM, Family, Psych), Rest are HP
GHHS: Yes
AOA: No
Research: 5 papers (none first author), 5+ posters (Helped a lot with peoples projects, so am many posters)
Extracurriculars: A lot..many leadership positions (president of 2 clubs, secretary, other school positions)
LORs: Chairman's letter (suspect it will be very very strong), IM letter from course chair, SUB-I letter (did really well; praise from patients), Peds letter (did some research with this doc)

I want to go to the best program I can but not sure where I have a shot. I would like to stay in the NE preferably. I also hope to be in some sort of academic hospital.

NE Reach Schools: John Hopkins, Mass Gen, MGH, Upenn, NYPH (columbia and cornell), Mt. Sinai, NYU, Beth Israel Deaconess, Yale
NE Potential Schools: UPMC, U of Rochester, BU, Tufts, Jefferson, GW, Einstein-Monte, Temple, Georgetown, Brown, Mt Sinai - Luke, UMD, Dartmouth, Einstein-Jacobi, Mt. Sinai Beth Isreal, Northwell LIJ
Safety: UCONN, Rutgers, Umass, SUNY Stony Brook

Outside NE Reach: Mayo, Duke, Wash U, U of Wash, Vandy, U of Chicago, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic
Outside NE Potential: Emory, Tulane, U of Virginia, Wake Forest, Mayo Jacksonville, UNC, Case Western and U of Miami

I really don't know if my potentials are reaches. I also don't know where I really fall and would love some input! Thank you for your time.

I think Jacobi and st lukes should be moved to safety. Also remove Sinai Beth Israel from your list; with all that's going on there I wouldn't even apply. Not sure why apply to mayo Jacksonville...is this considered a good program? Also Cleveland clinic is probably not a reach for you. Otherwise your list looks good! Good luck.

 

[MeGoodManIThink]

I think Jacobi and st lukes should be moved to safety. Also remove Sinai Beth Israel from your list; with all that's going on there I wouldn't even apply. Not sure why apply to mayo Jacksonville...is this considered a good program? Also Cleveland clinic is probably not a reach for you. Otherwise your list looks good! Good luck.

Thank you for your input! I pretty much used doximity, which is why Jacksonville is on there. Do you think I have a shot at my reaches?

 

[whoknows2012]

Thank you for your input! I pretty much used doximity, which is why Jacksonville is on there. Do you think I have a shot at my reaches?

Doximity isn't a great resource. Those rankings are not correct, but I guess it can give you an idea. You have an upside in that you have good research so you may definitely get interviews at some of your reaches. 4 years ago I applied with a similar app (h in medicine 70th percentile in class, 242 step 1 257 step 2, but no good ec's or research) and only interviewed at safeties and my "target" programs. Not one reach. IM tends to be very competitive at the top. Keep your expectations in order but you should be fine and I think your research alone is impressive enough to get you a couple IVs at those reaches.

 

[235009]

Step 1: 237
Step 2 CK/CS: Pending
School: Mid-Tier NE
Rank: not available yet (suspect top 30-40%)
Preclinical Grades: Did well 1st year and decent 2nd year.
Third year clerkships: Honors (IM, Family, Psych), Rest are HP
GHHS: Yes
AOA: No
Research: 5 papers (none first author), 5+ posters (Helped a lot with peoples projects, so am many posters)
Extracurriculars: A lot..many leadership positions (president of 2 clubs, secretary, other school positions)
LORs: Chairman's letter (suspect it will be very very strong), IM letter from course chair, SUB-I letter (did really well; praise from patients), Peds letter (did some research with this doc)

I want to go to the best program I can but not sure where I have a shot. I would like to stay in the NE preferably. I also hope to specialize in GI or something down the line.

NE Reach Schools: John Hopkins, Mass Gen, MGH, Upenn, NYPH (columbia and cornell), Mt. Sinai, NYU, Beth Israel Deaconess, Yale
NE Potential Schools: UPMC, U of Rochester, BU, Tufts, Jefferson, GW, Einstein-Monte, Temple, Georgetown, Brown, Mt Sinai - Luke, UMD, Dartmouth, Einstein-Jacobi, Mt. Sinai Beth Isreal, Northwell LIJ
Safety: UCONN, Rutgers, Umass, SUNY Stony Brook

Outside NE Reach: Mayo, Duke, Wash U, U of Wash, Vandy, U of Chicago, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic
Outside NE Potential: Emory, Tulane, U of Virginia, Wake Forest, Mayo Jacksonville, UNC, Case Western and U of Miami

I really don't know if my potentials are reaches. I also don't know where I really fall and would love some input! Thank you for your time.

This is a very reasonable list except that if you want to stay in the northeast you should just focus your applications there. There are plenty of great programs to apply to.

Agree with the above re: removing Beth Israel NY. I would also delete Jacobi. St Lukes and LIJ (Northshore not Northwell) are also safeties. You can consider adding Hopkins-Bayview instead of some of the other community programs you have listed.

Outside the northeast I would recommend getting rid of Cleveland clinic. Mayo isn't a reach (they have a lot of trouble recruiting due to location). It's fine to apply to all your other reaches in that list but you can get rid of all your potentials depending on how strongly you feel about staying in the northeast. Definitely get rid of Jacksonville though.


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[CanadianMedP]

Step 1: 251
Step 2: not yet taken
At a top Canadian med school that's well known in the US
School doesn't release rank, is purely pass fail and has no AOA ranking
Research: 4 papers (3 as first author) all in mid tier internal or cardio journals. 4 poster presentations. Will most likely be getting more pubs before I'll be submitting my application.
Extracurricular: nothing mind blowing, mostly global health related, president of one club.
Will get one strong LOR from the head of MD/PH.D. at my school. Anticipating getting several other strong IM letters.

What are my chances at the top East coast programs? Also trying to figure out at what point it would be better to stay in Canada and go to the university of Toronto for internal.

Thanks!

 

[bobloblaw123]

AMG
Med school: Unranked
Step 1: 249
Step 2: 258
Grades: H in everything except P in IM (there is an explanation) and HP in OB/GYN, H in Medicine Sub-I
AOA: Nope
Research: 4 papers, 2 first authors, bunch of posters
Extracurricular: president of clubs, tutorings, the usual
Hoping for 3 strong LORs from IM specialists

The question is....am I basically shut out of top 10-30 IM programs? Should I apply to them? Looking for programs from northeast and west, can you guys name some good mid-tiers in these places besides montefiore, hofstra, tufts, george washington, olive view-harbor UCLA, Kaiser LA, Scribbs?

 

[whoknows2012]

AMG
Med school: Unranked
Step 1: 249
Step 2: 258
Grades: H in everything except P in IM (there is an explanation) and HP in OB/GYN, H in Medicine Sub-I
AOA: Nope
Research: 4 papers, 2 first authors, bunch of posters
Extracurricular: president of clubs, tutorings, the usual
Hoping for 3 strong LORs from IM specialists

The question is....am I basically shut out of top 10-30 IM programs? Should I apply to them? Looking for programs from northeast and west, can you guys name some good mid-tiers in these places besides montefiore, hofstra, tufts, george washington, olive view-harbor UCLA, Kaiser LA, Scribbs?

Are you closed out? Tough to say. Your research and steps are impressive. Certainly can't hurt to apply. Also would be important to know where non-aoa people from your school have matched in the class. Where are you ranked in your class? The mid tier programs in the northeast that I would add are;

BU, brown, Jefferson, Hopkins bayview, temple, Georgetown, upmc (arguably not mid tier but would still apply) and Maryland. What city would you most like to be in?

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

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